Boston Dynamics’ robo dogs prove they’ve got talent too:Five yellow’ ‘Spot’ robots rocked America’s Got Talent with a flawless dance to Queen’s ‘Don’t stop me now’

America’s Got Talent has seen its fair share of oddball acts magicians who swallow swords, dogs that sing but nothing quite prepared the audience for what unfolded last week. In season 20’s latest audition round, five yellow, four-legged robots strutted onto the stage and wowed everyone with a perfectly timed dance to Queen’s hit Don’t Stop Me Now. Meet Spot: The dancing robot These robots, called Spot, are creations of U.S. robotics firm Boston Dynamics. Known as the world’s most advanced mobile robot, Spot is designed for tasks like patrols and inspections. It’s fast and agile but lacks the strength for heavy lifting, like carrying packages or unloading trucks. During the live act, one of the five robots malfunctioned and stopped mid-performance. But the other four carried on, impressing all four judges enough to advance to the next round. A marketing masterstroke Boston Dynamics may have aimed to make Spot go viral with this unique act. After all, selling the robot priced at a steep $74,500 has reportedly been a challenge. Still, this performance certainly grabbed attention. Judges left in awe Simon Cowell praised the act, saying, “It was weirdly better that one of them died… because it showed how difficult this was.” Howie Mandel added, “After 20 years, how can we see something we haven’t seen on this stage? This is something we have never seen.” The bigger picture Boston Dynamics has a history of showing off Spot’s abilities, even posting videos where the robot stumbles, falls, and gets back up proof of how far robotics has come. But the industry is tough. The company recently laid off 5% of its staff and retired its Atlas humanoid robot, which once demonstrated construction site skills.